Parents of the HS Class of 2024 (Part 1)

Parents of HS Class of 20xx
7664

It’s AWESOME that he’s taken charge…because he’ll know if he’s ok with his safeties worst case - and if he is, maybe he’ll stop!!!

As long as they’re affordable to you, that’s all he needs. Make sure they are ABET accredited.

As for his deferral, it’s just that - they haven’t made a decision - so it’s not a rejection.

The beauty with MechE is that, no matter where he goes, if it’s ABET accredited, he’ll be fine.

When you look at job listings (and I have many), if there’s a requirement, besides GPA, it’s school name.

Interestingly and I didn’t know this til he showed me the video, but my son is in his first position after graduating last May and he worked with a robot to - I hope I have the right word - demur a piece of equipment - for an aircraft control unit. It was cool to see this robot doing all the work. I guess he programmed it.

I think most of us wish we had kids that were self sufficient and motivated through the process :slight_smile:

Congrats to him!!

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7665

Thanks…we could always use more input on his list. Will post on the official match me pages too.
Basic stats: Asian origin male from a smallish school district on LI, NY.
Sat:1580(790/790), GPA:96/100 (calculated unweighted), 106 weighted, school doesn’t rank beyond top two, probably top 5%, 10 APs so far-8 5’s, 2 4’s, in 5 more APs in senior year, plus dual enrollment math class…so very rigorous course load.
Wants to major in Mech E, maybe minor/double major with CS.
Wants a medium sized school (atleast within the program) with a campus feel with access to some city life. But, this is not a strict criteria.
We will be full pay. Not placing any restrictions on where he applies to right now based on $. Looking for academically rigorous environment where he can continue to challenge himself but still have fun!
He has been accepted to UPitt and Stony Brook, deferred from MIT. Waiting to hear from GeorgiaTech, UMD, UMich, UF, Purdue, NCSU.

He has WPI, Columbia, CMU, USC on his RD list. Would love more suggestions on target schools.
Thanks!

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7666

Thank you…he has actually been ok-somewhat disappointed but not dejected. He is taking it in his stride. Fingers crossed for better options in ‘24.
I hear you about TE-I recently found out I am eligible and I was excited till I found about the very low odds on finding a match!
Good Luck to you too!

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7667

Thank you! I have been a lurker for quite sometime and I have seen your posts on your positive experiences with UofA. Thank you for sharing your sons’ stories. The robot sounds cool-it’s amazing what opportunities are available these days. Have suggested Uof A to my son-hopefully, he will take a more in-depth look at it.

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7668

hmmmm - he’s going to be a MechE - it’s going to be academically rigorous no matter where he goes.

My son was like your son in high school - a stud student - and got his butt whipped his first semester at an unranked school - including a WD. And this is at an unranked school. Don’t mistake pedigree for rigor, nor necessarily for better job opportunities. My son interned and lived with two Ga Tech students…he went back a second year; they weren’t invited. He was at an unranked school (having turned down Purdue)…and now works with kids from top schools including Purdue and Michigan.

Have your son find the right fit.

I have great respect for anyone who gets through an engineering curriculum. It’s not easy…I see these kids wilt…and transfer out.

You list a lot of great schools but some don’t meet the need that you provided - mid size and city access. And a school like Purdue, while wonderful, is neither mid size nor close to the city (an hour away) but plenty to do there.

Schools like UMD, UF are huge…UMD has more city access. Gainesville is fine though. NCSU campus is a 20 minute walk or short bus ride away. WPI is a safety for him…it’s on a different calendar though - 7 week classes - so he should know that.

I can see NCSU, Purdue as decent shots, and WPI as a definite - and he’s already got two great ones.

When I think mid size and near city, the first that comes to mind is Colorado School of Mines which is a match/likely. Case Western (reach if wasn’t ED), Lehigh, Rice (reach), RPI (likely), and Stevens (likely).

I’ll throw you a curveball that a kid with these stats would eschew but shouldn’t necessarily. UAH would be a dirt cheap safety with tons of job prospects right in the vicinity. Huntsville is Nasa’s second city and a great place for young kids. One magazine lists it as the best place to start a career. And there are jobs galore (space and defense mainly). My son knows many kids who are starting there - and at great salaries.

But honestly - if your son has acceptances and he’s self managing, I’d hang back and let him run the show as he has.

It’s worked for him so far!!! I’m not sure he’s getting the campus types he likes…but hopefully you can go visit before you narrow down.

Best of luck to him.

PS - just read your response. I think Bama is not what he wants - it’s another Purdue (size wise, location wise) but I think others on the list aren’t either - solely based on your description. But UAH could be - or at least it’s exactly what you described he wants. But Mines is too…although a bit further out from the city (the edge of Denver in Golden).

PS - he got deferred to MIT - he should be ecstatic but i get it. Too many tie it to rejection…which is what a Wait List is…he’s likely to get rejected elsewhere - just because there’s so many unbelievable kids…but…he clearly is and he could get accepted anywhere…it’s just so hard to know!!!

He’s going to get more acceptances for sure and he’s going to be fine.

I can’t tell if money matters…you just noted about tuition exchange. No clue how it works but I know a music parent got one at Syracuse…so maybe one to look at for that reason??

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7669

University of Delaware. Definitely as safety for your son and I know you said full pay but I would expect your son to get lots of merit money there. CWRU more like a target. He would probably get merit money there as well. NC State would fit the bill as well. Ohio State.

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7670

This is my first child and first time in the college process. My son is top 5% of his school most rigorous, 98 gpa etc…. When we initially started this process I was prepared to empty his bank account, mortgage the house, and do whatever it took to get him into a top 20 business school if he was accepted. This all changed when his safety School came back with an amazing scholarship offer, top honors program with highly subsidized travel to London and Asia to study abroad. All of a sudden the idea of graduating without debt and still having amazing opportunities took precedence over well known top school names. I honestly believe that as long as the kid is driven, he will succeed regardless of the college they attend. It’s funny how things change quickly in the college process.

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7671

Congrats on being able to retire at a normal or desired age :slight_smile:

Having smart kids can pay off like this for the students and families that choose this route.

Care to name the school so others will be aware ?

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7672

I honestly didn’t mean to offend anyone, hopefully it didn’t come across that way. I was just trying to convey that all plans change and the journey takes you in different directions.

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7673

Given his stats plus the deferral not rejection from MIT, size goals and city access, I think he may want to add some “reachier” ones similar to Columbia which are definitely in his grasp(any school is within his grasp!): UPenn, Northwestern, WashU. My D is a freshman in Engineering (& Dual w CAS) at Penn and double majoring Engineering and CS is common there. Minoring outside of Engineering is also common. Super supportive profs (they pride themselves on 99% Engineering retention year 1 to year 2)and collaborative peers, excellent grad school and job outcomes. Princeton and Duke would also be good to add BUT do not have easy city access at all: fairly bubbled.

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7674

How is that offensive ? Many see this as brilliant.

Many wish their kids did this after the fact !!

And of course many are purposely happy with their original plan - and that’s good too.

My congrats are sincere.

My kids chose their safeties over reaches for reasons other than money but for dad, I still appreciate the big money that came with it. And so far so good outcome wise although I have one still in school but with two internships so far.

There’s tons of great b schools and short of certain career aspirations, most get you to a similar place.

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7675

Have you looked at RPI?

7676

It is never too early to start making smart business decisions!

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7677

If you say the where, it can help other families …

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7678

Thank you, it’s good to hear about your D’s experiences at UPenn-sounds wonderful! DS had UPenn on his short list-he took it off to reduce his super-reach list somewhat manageable.
Duke and Northwestern are still being considered for RD.
His campus style preferences are not yet fully set-figured he can decide after he gets acceptances and has a chance to compare the different schools.

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7679

Thank you! I am hoping the right fit will become more obvious when he gets his acceptances in place. His campus preferences are not fully set-at this stage, he has some idea for what he doesn’t want but is willing to overlook that (huge schools, not having city access) for a great program. I will have him research the other options that you mentioned. He had RPI, Lehigh, Stevens on his long list-he removed them for what seemed valid points then-might be a worth a relook at this stage.

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7680

University of Delaware is a big draw at our HS-lots of kids go there and like it also. Have not looked into their engineering program. Will have to look into CWRU and Ohio State. Thank you!

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7681

UIUC is good for Engineering. How about Vanderbilt?

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7682

I don’t know if UIUC is good for engineering, nor do I know if Vanderbilt is good.

I know UIUC is highly ranked. For my son, he wouldn’t apply…for him, the campus was off putting. He did not apply to Vandy as we are local but it’s a nice school.

The university has a high rating…that doesn’t say whether the program is good or not.

I suspect both will be good - and both certainly will lead to outstanding outcomes if the economy is strong, like most any other engineering program.

If you are seeking matches or safeties, neither of these would be.

And they’d be very different.

As he’s applied to Purdue, a trip to Illinois would be easy. That’s the exact we did. I think 1.5 hours apart…but both are not what you described - both are huge but the campuses very different, feel very different - hence my son applied to Purdue but not Illinois. Others might be opposite…

Vandy is what you described - mid size, city access (in the city but not downtown but just a shade away and borders another school Belmont) so that would be great. If you come to Vandy, drive the 2 hours to UAH - which also is what you described at a discount price in a job mecca. Vandy is over $80K a year (but does have scholarships).

I still think that he’s self managing with 9 apps in - would be great to let him keep going. Sounds like he’s doing great.

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7683

So if your child was admitted to their reach school, are they now feeling a bit of imposter syndrome–“why did I get in?”

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